Publications

Oncopig bladder cancer cells recapitulate human bladder cancer treatment responses in vitro

The published work (Segatto et al. 2024 Front. Oncol., 25 February 2024) discusses the development of a novel urothelial carcinoma cell line from Oncopigs®, Sus Clinicals’ genetically modified porcine model. The aim was to create a reliable in vitro model for bladder cancer research. The researchers successfully demonstrated that these Oncopig® bladder cancer cell lines mimic human bladder cancer cell responses to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin, doxorubicin, and gemcitabine).

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Effect of CRISPR Knockout of AXIN1 or ARID1A on Proliferation and Migration of Porcine Hepatocellular Carcinoma

In a groundbreaking study, scientists have used advanced genetic editing techniques (CRISPR) to create customized porcine models for studying liver cancer, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The researchers focused on two key genes, AXIN1 and ARID1A, which are frequently mutated in human liver cancer, and successfully replicated these mutations in pigs. This work lays the foundation for development and utilization of genetically-tailored porcine HCC models for in vivo testing of novel therapeutic approaches in a clinically-relevant large animal model.

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Translating Human Cancer Sequences Into Personalized Porcine Cancer Models

The global incidence of cancer is rapidly rising, and despite an improved understanding of cancer molecular biology, immune landscapes, and advancements in cytotoxic, biologic, and immunologic anti-cancer therapeutics, cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide. The authors explain that by creating pig models that mirror patients' genetic profiles, researchers can improve the predictability of treatment outcomes and accelerate progress in cancer research and treatment.

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Of Mice, Dogs, Pigs, and Men: Choosing the Appropriate Model for Immuno-Oncology Research

Cancer has recently surpassed cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death worldwide. The increasing cancer incidence combined with the emergence of improved therapeutic strategies has driven research into fields such as how the immune system Influences cancer development and progression. This article reviews various animal models, and explains the benefits of porcine-based preclinical research.

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KRASG12D And TP53R167H Cooperate to Induce Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in Sus Scrofa Pigs

This article details development of the first large animal model of pancreatic carcinogenesis and may allow for insight into new avenues of translational research not before possible in rodents. By developing a porcine model via the Oncopig platform that closely mimics human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), researchers can now explore new treatment modalities, surgical interventions, and radiological techniques that were previously unfeasible in mouse models.

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The Oncopig Cancer Model as a Complementary Tool for Phenotypic Drug Discovery

The screening of potential therapeutic compounds using phenotypic drug discovery (PDD) is being embraced once again by researchers and pharmaceutical companies as an approach to enhance the development of new effective therapeutics. Before the genomics and molecular biology era and the consecutive emergence of targeted-drug discovery approaches, PDD was the most common platform used for drug discovery. This article covers how a transgenic pig model can offer a controlled and predictable platform for studying cancer and testing new therapies.

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The Oncopig Cancer Model: An Innovative Large Animal Translational Oncology Platform

Cancer is a global epidemic causing more than 8 million annual deaths worldwide. The more than 13 million new cancer diagnoses made each year carry an economic burden of $290B. Cancer is expected to be the second leading cause of death in the United States in 2017. The authors discuss how the Oncopig Cancer Model represents a significant breakthrough in cancer research, providing a powerful and clinically relevant tool to study cancer biology, test therapeutic interventions, and improve patient outcomes in the fight against cancer.

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A Validated, Transitional and Translational Porcine Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This article details a study validating the Oncopig model for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Specifically, the article presents data demonstrating the ability of Oncopig HCC cell lines to recapitulate key features of human HCC, providing validation for the use of the Oncopig platform for human HCC research. This model will enable the testing of different HCC treatment techniques and the evaluation of histologic, radiographic, and pathological responses in a model more similar to human HCC than currently available small animal models.

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Oncopig Soft-Tissue Sarcomas Recapitulate Key Transcriptional Features of Human Sarcomas

Human soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare mesenchymal tumors with a 5-year survival rate of 50%, highlighting the need for further STS research. Research has been hampered by limited human sarcoma cell line availability and the large number of STS subtypes, making development of STS cell lines and animal models representative of the diverse human STS subtypes critical. Pigs represent ideal human disease models due to their similar size, anatomy, metabolism, and genetics compared to humans.

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